What Hurts the Most
by DeathByStereo17
Summary: D/S angst story


"_Come on Danny, were gonna miss it" yelled Sam as she raced up the hill._

"_Wait up a minute, I can't run that fast" Danny yelled back as he struggled to keep up. As he huffed and puffed up the side of the hill, he couldn't help but smile slightly as he remembered the time they first met. It had been the day before they started first grade, on the last day of summer when Danny accidently tripped over Sam in a race to catch a football thrown by his father. Sam had been in a good mood that day and laughed at his clumsiness. When Danny finally reached the top and found Sam staring wide eyed at the gorgeous sunset set out in front of them._

"_Its beautiful isn't it" she said without taking her eyes off it._

"_Yeah it is. Can you believe it's the last day of summer again? I mean tomorrow well be in high school and-" he trailed off when he noticed Sam expression. _

"_Sam? What's wrong?" He asked._

"_Well, its just that we've been coming here on the same day at the same time to watch this for eight years now. But were almost freshman and, well this will sound silly and so out of character for me but…I don't want this to end." She paused and looked at him. "It's been our little tradition. Just us. Not even Tucker knows we do this."_

_He smiled slightly at this, but that gave Sam the wrong impression._

"_Why are you laughing at me Danny? I'm being serious" she said angrily._

"_Sam, calm down. I was smiling because I agree with you. I don't want this to end either. So let's keep it going. No matter what happens to us these next four years, well always meet up back here in the end." He grinned his big, goofy grin that she loved so much, and she laughed._

"_Okay" she said. "No matter what happens, nothing can stop us."_

--

That had been three years ago. Every year they had met up here, and every year he had not been late once. But this year was different. The ghost problem for the town had grown immensely, causing Danny to almost fail his junior year. But he pulled through with her and Jazz's help. I was the day before they started their senior year in high school, and the sun had already begun to set. Sam glanced at her watch.

"Danny, where are you" she whispered nervously. _"Oh God, I hope he inst in trouble with a ghost or…"_

"I'm right here"

Sam whipped around to find Danny standing there.

"Danny, you scared me. I'm glad you made it" she said, smiling with relief. This might be the last year they get to do this together.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Ghost trouble and, well, you get the picture" he laughed nervously.

She looked at him curiously. "Danny, are you alright?" She asked. _Something isn't right here…_

"I'm fine" he said as he took the few steps to get to her. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She did the same, but she couldn't help but shiver from how cold he was.

"Danny, you're freezing" she said worriedly.

"Well, that kinda comes with the package" he said, smiling. He sat down on the grass and waited for her to join him. As she sat down she got a good look at him. He was looking at the sunset, so he didn't notice. _He's paler than usual too._

"God isn't that beautiful" he said. "It almost gives me cold chills. It looks just like the one we had the day we met, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does, just without the random little boy falling over you" she snickered.

"Hey I said I was sorry. And besides, if I hadn't fallen over you we wouldn't be here right now."

She laughed quietly. "That's true." _Something was off here, but she couldn't place it._

"I don't know what I'd have done without you." He said suddenly. Sam looked at him, but he wouldn't return the stare.

"I think it was fate that gave me these powers, and without you and Tuck I would've gone crazy, literally." It was then he looked at her. But at that glance he locked her in his gaze. She couldn't look away.

"Sam, it took me so long to realize this, but this might be the last chance I get to say it."

Sam as so shocked by what he'd just said that she couldn't speak. _What did he mean?_

"Even after all those stupid hints from Tucker and the taunts from Dash and his gang of jerks, I still didn't see it. But know I do." He glanced at the sun once more. _And why does he keep doing that?_

Sam's mouth had become ajar, but she couldn't do anything about it. _Oh my god. Is he going to say what I think he's going to say?_

He grabbed her hand and held it tight in his. "Sam, I'm in love with you. I have been for so long, but I've been so afraid of how you feel about me that I just couldn't say it until now. It wasnow or never, and I chose now."

Sam's mouth had come off the hinges, and she still couldn't find her voice. _Here he is, saying what I've always dreamt he would say to me, and I can't find my god damn voice! Come on Sam!_

"Sam please, I don't have much more time." He said nervously as he glanced at the almost set sun. _A few more seconds and it's light would disappear._

"Oh Danny, I can't believe this" she looked away from him for a moment. "I've wanted you to say that for so long but now that you have-"she trailed off and closed her eyes. After a few seconds se looked back at Danny. His eyes were full of hope, fear, and pleading. _Why is he looking at me like that? _

"Danny, I-

"Sam!"

Sam looked behind her to find Jazz sprinting up the hill. She looked as though she had been crying.

"Jazz, what's wrong?" Sam asked as she got up to meet Danny's sister. As she got closer she could see fresh tears roll down Jazz's cheeks.

"Oh Sam, its Danny" Jazz sobbed. Sam walked closer and pulled her into a hug.

"What about Danny?" she asked Jazz softly.

"I'm so sorry, Sam, I'm sorry" Jazz repeated several times.

"What is it Jazz-

"Danny's dead."

Her words made Sam stop breathing. _How could Danny be dead, I was just talking to him. _

Jazz pulled away and looked into Sam's eyes.

"Wh- what did you say?"

"Danny's dead. A bunch of ghost ganged up on him and they were just too much and- She wasn't able to finish before she fell to the ground in another round of sobs.

Sam just stood there, dumbfounded. _There must be some mistake; I was just talking to him- _She whipped around to where Danny had been sitting, praying that she would find a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at her. But there was no one. Not a trace that anyone else had been there besides her.

"Danny" she whispered. As the darkness of the night settled in, everything began to make sense. He had come to say goodbye. Clockwork must have given him until sunset to do it, but that was it. He had told her he loved her, and she had blown it. She crushed his last wish into dust. He just wanted to be loved, but in the end it was the women he loved that had hurt him the most.


End file.
